1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to managing traffic flow, and in particular, to a computer implemented method for utilizing a route reservation system for managing traffic flow to avoid congestion.
2. Description of Related Art
Many cities worldwide experience increases in daily traffic on roads and highways faster than those roads and highways can be widened or new roads and highways built. As a result, congestion on those roads and highways continues to increase, thereby wasting time and money for those sitting or creeping in traffic as well as their employers. There are many causes of congestion when roads and highways are at or near full capacity, including bottlenecks, traffic accidents, bad weather, work zones, poor traffic signal timing, special events, etc.
As a result, cities and other governmental entities have implemented a variety of solutions to reduce traffic congestions including special commuter lanes for vehicles with two or more passengers, prepositioned tow trucks during rush hour to quickly handle vehicle breakdowns, live video cameras to monitor traffic, electronic billboards to warn drivers of road issues, etc. Even with these and other changes, the problems of congestion continue to worsen for many cities.